


Soft As Sunrise

by HyperKid



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Other, Soft Boys, The second M is for Mollymauk, little a angst, references to self harm, sleepy musings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:00:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25352056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperKid/pseuds/HyperKid
Summary: Fjord gets a little contemplative when he wakes up early. Molly’s very good at catching him before he gets too down. Soft beans are soft.
Relationships: Fjolly - Relationship, Fjord/Mollymauk Tealeaf
Comments: 4
Kudos: 71





	Soft As Sunrise

**Author's Note:**

> HK: Since AO3 doesn’t have ship tags for genderfluid yet, that m/m is male/Molly.   
> Mollymauk: This implies the existence of Molly/Molly, and I demand it.   
> HK: ........ Does Lucien count?   
> Mollymauk: By your own bullshit, no.   
> HK: ...... You don’t have duplicate spells.   
> Mollymauk: And?   
> HK: ..... I’m gonna have to think on this one but I’ll try?   
> Mollymauk: That’s all I ask. Oh, and for this month’s Magic Lube Thursday.   
> HK: Any specific requests?   
> Mollymauk: What, and make it easy for you?   
> HK: That’s fair, but I don’t have to like it.   
> Mollymauk: This fic is for Kukki over on twitter, who asked if there was anything softer than Fjord calling me “Molls”. What was the verdict?   
> HK: You’ll see. But I think maaaaybe there might be? 
> 
> WARNINGS!! Fjord is a big sad boy with many body image issues, and Molly is a slutty bastard 
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one buuuuut the cosplay is doing good!

Sunlight spilled slowly across rumpled white sheets, sending a soft glow about the room. It crept through a narrow crack in the shutters, just wide enough to shine across the sleeping figures within. 

Fjord groaned, throwing an arm up over his eyes. There was a low grumble from Molly and he wrapped his other arm around the tiefling, giving him a gentle squeeze. Molly made another sleepy noise, burrowing his face into Fjord’s chest. 

That brought a smile to the half orc’s face and he cracked open an eye, glancing down. He did occasionally wake a little earlier than the others, especially when they were stopped at an inn. Most of the Nein seemed happy to sleep in when they had both the chance and a comfy bed. 

He could never get used to it. Too many years at sea, and maybe a natural predilection. 

He was a morning person. 

But he never begrudged the others their time; there was something beautifully peaceful about being the only one awake. About being able to just lay in bed, warm, safe, and comfortable. 

Usually cuddled up to Mollymauk, which was another pleasure all its own. 

Squinting a little against the light, Fjord’s gaze traveled across the brighter shimmers of the tiefling’s horns down his face, to the exposed skin of a tattooed shoulder. 

Molly always slept naked. 

Even on the road. 

Fjord had considered protesting that first night at the inn, but... well, Molly was extremely pretty, and not in the least self conscious. If he was happy to provide the show (and he must have been, for all the time he spent arching his back, stretching, and sprawling himself artfully on the bed), Fjord was happy to watch. And it didn’t even cost two copper. 

After that, there didn’t seem to be any point in saying anything. Certainly not when they began sharing a bed; it gave Fjord the chance to strip down as well, which was nice. 

And it meant he could have these soft, early morning moments with Molly. 

There was something beautifully vulnerable about watching the normally so calculating tiefling sleep. It was just about the only time he could be sure Molly wasn’t bullshitting him, not maliciously but just for the fun of it. The bloodhunter spent so much energy and so much time carefully crafting personas to play with, and all of it dropped away in sleep. 

Dropped away if they got deep enough into some domination games too, but that was a whole different kind of beautiful. 

This was just... soft. 

Sea roughened hands played gently across the tiefling’s hip, stroking slowly across scars and the lines and curves of Molly’s skin. The tiefling made another sleepy, grumpy noise, scrunching up his nose and pressing his face into Fjord’s skin and his hand stilled. Back to a gentle caress cupping heated skin. 

By the visible light, it wasn’t long after dawn. No real reason they had to be up yet. 

Having a quiet cuddle would be a perfect way to start the morning as far as Fjord was concerned. 

That was another kind of comfort he wasn’t used to; there hadn’t really been any other time of his life where touch was so affectionately, so easily offered. Fuck, he couldn’t name a time he’d had a hug before he met Jester, who would cuddle anyone and everyone at the slightest excuse. 

From what he’d learned of her past, he had to wonder if she’d been almost as touch starved as he was when they’d met. 

Fjord still didn’t really know how to accept that much easy affection; he genuinely had no idea how to handle it. Luckily Beau didn’t seem to know any better than he did, so he had a little backup there. 

Somehow it was just... easier with Molly. Everything was easy with Molly. He was just so vibrant, so unconcerned with how the world viewed him. 

Brightly, starkly, boldly different, and rather than trying to hide that he screamed it from the rooftops. 

Sometimes Fjord couldn’t help just stopping to stare at him. To watch him with the wonder of a little half orc boy who’d always been told being different was wrong. To wonder how different his life could have been if he’d just known Molly sooner. 

Horns would be a little harder to hide than tusks, of course. Fjord’s tongue probed gently over the filed down stubs in his own mouth, thought of Molly without his strong horns and all their gorgeous ornaments. It made his chest ache and his arm tightened around the sleeping tiefling. 

It was getting around the time he’d have to file his tusks back again. The damn file was still in his pack of course, but just the thought of it made him flinch. It was a painful, bloody chore and he really didn’t want to explain it to the others. 

The thought that Jester might be able to heal him fought with a shame that suddenly didn’t seem quite as connected to his tusks anymore. Hell, Jester was as brightly, visibly different as Molly, and just as proud in her own way. Trying to explain to her that he didn’t like not being like other people, like humans or elves or half elves, felt almost like it’d be insulting her. 

Casting doubt on her own differences, and he would never want to do that. 

Slender fingers cupped his jawline, hot against his skin in the way Molly always was. 

“Y’re clenching your jaw again,” the tiefling murmured as Fjord started, looking down to meet soft, sleepy red eyes. 

He hadn’t even noticed he was doing it. 

Forcing himself to relax, Fjord managed a reasonably reassuring smile. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” Internally he cursed a little; both for waking Molly and for wasting a rare moment of softness with his own angst. 

Molly gave a disgruntled little trill and pushed up enough to nudge his head against Fjord’s chin. 

“You’re moping again,” the tiefling accused, sounding more awake by the moment. Fjord couldn’t help but smile, bringing his other arm around to wrap both around Molly. 

“Still didn’t mean to wake you.” 

“I can hear your woe,” Molly scoffed, snuggling into Fjord’s touch and rolling to lie directly on top of him. “Do you need a distraction?” 

For a moment, Fjord considered trying to brush it off again and tell Molly to go back to sleep. But the tiefling’s tail was twitching below the sheets, beginning to sway gently back and forth. It was probably a little late for that. 

And yeah, he could probably use a distraction. 

Without really thinking about it, Fjord rubbed along his jaw. Remembered pain or anticipated pain, it was beginning to ache. 

“Think I could, yeah. Did you have something in mind?” This being Molly, he could have almost anything in mind. He was watching Fjord curiously, head cocked to one side. 

Eyes fixed on his jaw. 

That was what made Fjord realize what he was doing, but before he could say anything Molly shrugged and interlaced his fingers on Fjord’s chest, resting his chin on them. 

“Well, I’d offer to ravish you but doing that properly would take a while.” Dark purple brows waggled and Fjord didn’t try and fight the snicker. 

“We could cuddle,” he offered, loving how the word tasted in his mouth. Loving the warmth of Mollymauk against him, and knowing that yeah, he could just have this. Molly hummed thoughtfully, cocking his head to one side. 

A hanging amulet brushed Fjord’s chest, a tiny point of chill that felt all the sharper for the small size. He rubbed at the spot and Molly grinned, leaning down to kiss his knuckles.

“We could do that. Do you wanna talk about it at all?” He asked gently, looking up at Fjord through his lashes. It didn’t feel like pressure; no one was better than Molly about not talking about things if he didn’t want to. 

Just a gentle, open space to get things off his chest. 

Fjord went quiet for a moment to think about it and didn’t actually realize how long it had been until Molly gently bit the tip of his finger. He shook his head, blinked, frowned at Molly. 

“Sorry... I don’t think I’m ready to talk about it yet. Maybe next time?” 

It wasn’t... strictly true. He could feel the need to talk about it bubbling in his gut, a weight pulled down from his chest that was slowly suffocating him. But... even now, he couldn’t quite convince himself that he was allowed. 

That it wouldn’t be an insult, or some fatal weakness that would persuade them he wasn’t worth their time. 

He didn’t want Molly to laugh at him. 

The very thought of it ached, even if he knew the tiefling never would. He couldn’t persuade that small part of himself. 

And of course, Molly nodded, pushing himself up again to press a soft kiss to Fjord’s lips. 

“This doesn’t work if you go all mopey again,” he murmured against the half orc’s mouth. 

Shifting his arms up to tighten around the tiefling’s waist, Fjord let himself focus on the heat of Molly’s body and the soft press of his lips. It brought another smile to his face the same way it always did. 

“Sorry. Just in a mood, I guess.” He was sorry. He wasn’t sure how to stop. 

Molly huffed against his mouth and gave his lower lip a sharp bite. 

“That’s what you’ve got me for. So, if you don’t wanna talk about what’s been bothering you, let’s talk about getting you something pretty.” 

Now that was too good a straight line to resist. Fjord gave the tiefling his very best innocent smile, hands trailing slowly up his back. 

“Something else pretty. I’ve already got you.” 

Molly threw his head back and laughed, tossing curly dark hair across his face. A hot finger poked playfully at Fjord’s jaw. 

“Smooth even now? I like that in a man,” he teased, shoving hair back behind his horns. Fjord grinned back, leaning in to nip at his finger. 

“It’s my best feature.” 

“Nah, that’s your ass,” Molly shot back without missing a beat, his other hand disappearing below the blanket to squeeze. Fjord jumped a little in surprise, a laugh shaking free. 

“Only my ass? I’m hurt.” He couldn’t even manage the fake pout to go with it, he was smiling too broadly. 

It was just... so easy to relax with Molly. To let things degenerate into silly games and flirting and teasing. He made everything simple somehow. 

Molly tutted, giving his ass another firm squeeze. 

“You haven’t asked how highly I rank your ass. It really makes all the difference.” 

Stifling a laugh, Fjord pressed a kiss to Molly’s temple. 

“Well? How do you rank it?” Finding out that Molly kept a ranked table of asses would surprise... precisely no one. And finding out he was making shit up on the spot would be equally expected. 

Molly pursed his lips and pretended to consider the question, his wandering hand conscientiously fondling every last inch of Fjord’s ass. 

“Well it’s absolutely unmatched in texture and muscular appeal. Yielding enough to make a delicious pillow, with enough firm, toned muscle underneath to give some lovely shape and power for thrusting. And of course it’s got that perfect tight jiggle when you run or ride the horse.” The tiefling had a decidedly wicked grin on his face as Fjord paused, brows furrowing as something twigged. 

“Wait... is that why you kept riding behind me all the way here?” It was entirely fucking possible Molly had done it solely for this bit, or that he’d just been talking to the others while Fjord scouted. 

But he had stayed pretty solidly directly behind him. 

“Me and Jester,” Molly agreed, not even slightly abashed as the rising sun gleamed on his fangs. “We were having some intense discussions on your ranking.” 

Fjord flashed back a moment, thinking back to the previous day and where everyone had been. Honestly he’d been paying more attention to the road ahead than to his companions, but it wasn’t uncommon to see the two tieflings with their heads together. Didn’t take much to work out the rest either. 

“Were you rating all of us by our asses?” He asked with a mock weary sigh, trying not to grin and really failing. 

It was more of a surprise that they hadn’t done it sooner. 

And sure enough Molly was still grinning like he’d never even heard the word shame. Entirely possible since he definitely didn’t know what it was and had clearly never had any. 

“Well we started out by your faces, but we got a little sidetracked by Beau’s shoulders. And you know Caleb’s always wrapped up in a thousand layers, so you’re really in an ass class of your own,” he explained innocently, patting said ass gently and then folding both hands on Fjord’s chest to rest his chin on. 

It came so easily to Molly; compliments flowing effusively in and amongst the banter like it was nothing. Fjord always tried to be complimentary, especially with his new friends, and he’d always been told he was charismatic. 

But it felt so much more like work. He thought about it, paid attention to people, looked for the things that they cared about or that they did well. He knew it could be manipulative, but he really tried to be sincere. To mean it. 

Molly just... let it all flow. It seemed so natural, so effortless, the way Molly would just let a saucy compliment drop into the conversation. 

It sounded so much more heartfelt than Fjord always felt his did and he could never fight the small smile it pulled from him. 

He let his hand slip down to give Molly’s ass a firm squeeze. 

“Oh, I dunno, yours is nothing to sneeze at,” he teased gently, his voice filled with soft laughter. Molly pushed up into his hand and grinned as his back arched sinuously. 

“I’m very well aware,” he assured Fjord with a teasing purr, flexing his butt cheeks in the half orc’s grip, his tail curling almost from the root around his arm to squeeze back. 

It was a strange experience, a bit like having a snake coil around him. A long, slender band of muscle and bone, though without the scales of a proper snake. The skin was definitely softer than on Molly’s arms or chest, almost gently furred with the smooth, downy hairs. 

It felt more intimate than just a hug, which felt like an especially stupid observation with Molly sprawled naked atop him. But it did. So tightly coiled, trapped close to the blazing heat of Mollymauk Tealeaf, Fjord couldn’t imagine being closer. 

Forcing himself back to the conversation he managed a roguish grin. 

“You reckon mine’s better?” 

“I have a much better view of yours,” Molly shot back easily, not remotely abashed. Fjord stifled a laugh and bent to kiss him softly. 

“Well then I’m honoured, Molls. And I’ll be sure to give you a mighty fine view while I get ready for breakfast,” he added, giving Molly’s ass another firm pat as his stomach growled. 

Obviously about to argue, Molly sighed dramatically and rolled from the bed, stretching both arms high above his head. Giving Fjord a lovely view of his own, and one that he took a moment to appreciate. 

“I would say you could just have me, but I suppose we’ve got to face the day eventually,” the tiefling sighed dramatically, bending to scoop his shirt from the floor. 

A wicked grin flashed across Fjord’s face and he followed Molly to his feet, moving in close behind him. Large hands gripped slender hips, pulling Molly back against him. 

“Leave your boots off an’ I can have you up here after we’re done eating,” he reminded Molly in a heated purr, lips brushing a pointed purple ear. Molly shivered against him, spinning without pulling away from the contact. 

“Promises, promises,” he purred back, fingers practically skipping up the plane of Fjord’s chest, “but I have this feeling you’ll pull through.” 

“You have my word,” Fjord agreed, bending his head to kiss Molly properly, tongue slipping past eager lips. 

His stomach growled again. 

Louder. 

He could feel Molly’s laugh vibrating through him more than hear it, so he appreciated that at least. Pulling away, the tiefling grinned up at him through gleaming red eyes. 

“I’ll hold you to that.” 

And then he leaned up on his toes, placing a soft kiss on each of Fjord’s tusks. 

“It’ll be nice to help you blow off a little steam.” 

Fjord stared after him as he stepped away, utterly dumbfounded. And alright, he wasn’t gonna pretend he’d been Captain Subterfuge. They’d been on his mind all morning, leaving him almost painfully aware of them in his mouth. 

But Molly just... knew. 

Didn’t push. 

Didn’t ask if he wanted to talk, or put him on the spot, or press on what was bothering him. Just gave him the space and let Fjord come to him if he wanted to. 

And made damn sure he knew that he’d be willing to listen, or do anything else Fjord wanted. 

He could still feel the warmth on his jaw from where Molly’s fingers had lingered as the tiefling pulled those fucking skin tight trousers up past his hips. Still feel those two soft, sweet kisses when Molly grinned back at him from the doorway. Couldn’t think of anything else as he watched those pointed fangs gleam in the early morning son. 

“Well? Coming, gorgeous?” 

Fjord was going to fucking fall in love with this asshole, if he hadn’t already. He could see it all laid out in front of him, a gleaming golden path snaking out into his future, leading from that wonderful smile straight to his feet. 

Taking the first step forward felt like the first peek of sunrise. Like flowers blooming in his chest, the taste of oranges soft and sweet on his tongue. It was the most natural thing in the world to close the distance between them, to slip his arm around Molly’s waist like he belonged there.

Because he did. 

He could. 

He was allowed, and Molly wouldn’t turn him away. Wouldn’t even ask about the damn soppy smile Fjord could feel on his face, even over those two blooms of heat on his lower lip. 

No, he just leaned in, and let Fjord accompany him down to breakfast. 

Fjord would accompany him to the ends of the earth. 

**Author's Note:**

> HK: Have fun everyone! Don’t forget your masks, stay safe, Black Lives Matter, don’t fucking give anyone COVID! 
> 
> Fjord absolutely did ~not~ get dressed.


End file.
